Use of lasers in periodontics

In the past 100 years, there has been extensive development of the mechanical cutting devices used in dentistry. One of the most exciting developments in medical technology is the laser. The past decade has been a veritable explosion of research into the clinical applications of lasers in dental practice. Based on Albert Einstein’s theory of spontaneous and stimulated emission of radiation, Maiman developed the first laser prototype in 1960. The first application of laser to dental tissue was reported by Goldman in 1972 and Stern and Sognnaes published an article describing the effects of ruby laser on enamel and dentin. Compared with the use of a conventional scalpel, lasers can cut, ablate and reshape the oral soft tissues more easily, with minimal or no bleeding and little pain as well as no or only a few sutures. Laser surgery occasionally requires no local anesthetic or only a topical anesthetic. Minimal wound contraction and scarring are other advantages of laser surgery. Less postoperative pain in patients is also frequently observed by clinicians, but this has not yet been scientifically proven.